As English teachers, we realize the value of life-long learning. If we can teach our ELA students critical thinking strategies and complex text skills, then we have given them the tools they need to become productive and happy life-long learners.

One reason podcasts are the perfect tool for teachers is because they provide life-long learning opportunities on the go. It’s difficult to stay current on research and new strategies when your workload is already crammed full, but with podcasts, you listen on your commute to work or walk after school.  Here is an English teacher podcast list to fill up your podcast queue:

12 Podcast Episodes for English Teachers

Inspirational Podcasts for Teachers

Sometimes listening to an inspirational podcast on your after-school walk can help you erase a negative classroom day and create a positive outlook for better teaching day tomorrow. Here are some inspirational podcast episodes for teachers:

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE PODCASTS. I have a favorite list a mile long (DM me for personal recs), so narrowing down my list was a journey. After much consideration, I bring to you: Hidden Brain and specifically (though it hurts me because so many are must-listens) episode: BS JOBS. 

The reason this episode will make you a better ELA teacher is because it will prompt you to value what you do SO MUCH MORE. The episode is hilarious, and you will probably recognize some BS jobs within your own school system (cough, ______ cough). But don’t worry, this episode will validate your irreplaceable purpose and ensure you that your job as a teacher is one of the least BS jobs in the world. In addition to this boost of confidence, this episode may also spark ideas for understanding what motivates students and what leads them to a fulfilling career. If you want to learn more about how you can use podcasts like Hidden Brain as a teaching tool, this post will guide you: Why You Should Be Using Podcasts In Secondary ELA

Staci from Donut Lovin’ Teacher, has been taking more time to learn about and practice self-care. She recommends listening to the Perfectly Imperfect Podcast, a series full of candid conversation about self-love and growing into one’s identity. The episode titled “Do You Like Me? Seeking External Validation” may sound like a question you’ve overheard your students ask each other in class, but Staci guarantees this episode will make you think about how you can better focus on your worth as an individual (and teacher) without needing the approval of others. The perfect listen for an afternoon stroll, the reflective co-hosts may even make you start to think about the kinds of feedback you give students in your ELA classroom! Click here to read about some ways you can  encourage self-love in the classroom.

Important Podcasts for Educators

Podcasts provide a platform that text-based articles can’t. Through tone, emotion, and diverse voices, listeners can immerse themselves in important conversations that will improve their teaching beyond pedagogical practices.

For example, Tanesha from Love Tanesha is committed to evolving her teaching practice by providing students access to rich and diverse texts and topics – in a variety of forms. Teaching Tolerance provides educators with frameworks designed to guide teachers in creating an anti-bias and equitable learning experience for students.

One framework is on Digital Literacy. Tanesha leans heavily on the Teaching Hard History podcast series as a tool to gain insight on the strategies teachers are leveraging to teach “hard topics” in their classrooms, and to grow her own development. One episode, The Digital Literacy Universe, engages educators in a spirited (and informational filled) conversation about the responsibilities associated with providing students access to digital media. Additionally, the episode provides practical considerations for teachers when using digital literacy in their classrooms.  Secondary ELA teachers have the unique privilege of being able to engage learners with complex texts and sources. This podcast allows teachers to digest the pros and cons of the digital literacy world. 

As English teachers, our content is so closely tied to history; however, instead of teaching historical content, we have the unique opportunity to share the stories behind history and the different perspectives of the people who lived it. Emily Aierstok of Read it. Write it. Learn it. recommends the podcast titled “Miss Buchanan’s Period Of Adjustment” from Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History series. This podcast shares the stories behind the history of a major Supreme Court case, Brown vs.the Board of Education, and the lasting effects on education in America today. After listening to this podcast, you will rethink history as you know it and have a deeper, richer understanding of our profession and the inequities that still exist today. Share with students as a way to study the different perspectives and points of view presented.

Shana Ramin from Hello, Teacher Lady is a fellow English teacher and podcast enthusiast. Though her list of favorite podcasts is also quite lengthy, she’s currently making her way through the episode archives of Lexicon Valley. 

Hosted by linguist John McWhorter, Lexicon Valley has hundreds of fascinating episodes on everything from the evolution of the word ‘no’ to the Internet’s obsession with the exclamation point. But there’s one episode that, according to Shana, is a must-listen for all English teachers: The Rise of They.  In this important episode, McWhorter explores the history of the singular ‘they’ and explains why we were all taught it was wrong in the first place. It’s an eye-opening episode and one you’ll definitely want to keep in your back pocket.

Lifestyle Podcasts for Teachers

Despite what our students might think, English teachers do, in fact, have a life outside of the classroom. Once you get into listening, you are sure to find lots of podcasts that relate to your interest and hobbies. Some of these lifestyle podcasts might even make your day job better too! Here are some examples:

As ELA teachers, we all know how easy it is to fall into the never-ending to-do list trap, the never-ending to-do list that actually makes us less productive. Thankfully, Jenna from Doc Cop Teaching found a solution that really works, and it only takes 34 minutes to learn! Productivity guru Chalene Johnson is best known for her high-energy exercise programs, but her passion is teaching productivity. In episode 227 of The Chalene Show Podcast, The Key to Getting Organized, Productive, Happy, and Healthy, Chalene shares her step-by-step approach to help you tackle those never-ending teacher to-do lists with purpose and focus. You’ll pull out a piece of paper and pencil to work through her system and learn once and for all how to create a productive and happy classroom. As a bonus, this active listening podcast is an excellent one to share with your students!

Pretty much everything that The Lazy Genius shares in her podcast is teacher-drool-worthy.  Amanda Cardenas from Mud and Ink Teaching absolutely loves Kindra’s approach to life because it so closely resembles her teaching motto:  be a genius about the things that matter, and lazy about the things that don’t. Simple. This episode on building a stash of freezer meals is pure Lazy Genius glory:  it’s a highly organized and brilliant system all built to help you be lazy during the week!  The Lazy Genius podcast will help all English teachers organize their hectic lives and make sense of the chaos in a way that is manageable and fun.
Amanda also would love for you to check out The Brave New Teacher podcast series when it launches on April 2, 2020!  Amanda and Marie Morris of The Caffeinated Classroom co-host this tongue-in-cheek look at life in the classroom and dig into the issues that ELA teachers care about most.  It’s the only podcast for English teachers out there so far, and being part of their community will help you change the status quo at your school.  Head over to our website for more information and to be notified when the first episode drops!

Educational Podcasts for ELA Teachers

Though extremely thought-provoking, inspirational, and helpful, none of the podcasts listed above are explicitly designed for teachers. Therefore, I’m going to end this podcast recommendation list with a number of episodes that are produced specifically for educators. If you are ready for high-quality PD in your earbuds, start here:

When you are tasked with teaching reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening standards, it can feel impossible to cram everything in and teach every skill. As ELA teachers, it’s easy for our instructional time to feel rushed, leaving us stressed out at the end of the day. Abby from Write on With Miss G knows this feeling all too well, which is what inspired her to adopt podcaster Angela Watson’s motto of “fewer things, better.” Abby was previously guilty of over-planning lessons and stressing herself out trying to implement “all of the things.” After reflecting and listening to this eye-opening episode from Watson’s Truth for Teachers (and maybe every single other episode) podcast, she worked hard to simplify her pedagogy to make room for the most impactful strategies. If you’re guilty of spending hours lesson planning and feeling frazzled during your class periods, then this episode is worth a listen! 

Tired of spending all your nights and weekends buried by grading? For years, one of the most common topics floating around in English teacher conversations has been that of streamlining grading and feedback.

Working with various teachers across grade levels and subject areas as an instructional coach, Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven loves listening to podcasts about teaching, especially ones that challenge her thinking.

Recently, she came across Episode 121 on Angela Watson’s well-known Truth for Teachers podcast, featuring an insightful productivity roundtable discussion. If you’d like to reclaim your time at home while making instruction and feedback more meaningful, listen in to this conversation. You’ll find fresh ideas regarding streamlining assessment, making class time more purposeful, and maximizing grading time.

As teachers, we always strive to find the best ways for our students to learn and retain the information and content we teach them. 

As a high school English teacher, Christina, The Daring English Teacher, is always looking for new teaching strategies to incorporate into her high school English classroom. One of her favorite podcasts to listen to is The Cult of Pedagogy. 

Jennifer Gonzalez is a mastermind at sharing research-based educational strategies that are proven to work. In her podcast episode entitled Six Powerful Learning Strategies you MUST Share with your Students, she shares six powerful, proven educational strategies that work. This podcast episode is a must-read for every teacher!

To help you include one of these strategies, dual coding, in your classroom, you can read about how The Daring English Teacher incorporates one-pagers in the classroom.

Staci Lamb from The Engaging Station usually finds herself listening to crime podcasts, but when she needs some teaching inspiration, she turns to the The 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. The episodes are short enough to listen to an entire one on your way to work or to the store, and with almost 600 episodes, you’re guaranteed to find something that relates specifically to your ELA classroom.

One episode Staci recently listened to is called “5 Ways to Improve Relevance in Our Classrooms Now.” In this episode, one of their top suggestions is to capitalize on the trends and events happening in their world. For example, last year when everyone was eating Tide Pods (okay, not everyone), Staci created an entire mini-unit in which kids had to write an essay about why we should not eat Tide Pods. Check out those free lessons here, and then be sure to check out that Podcast episode to get even more ideas!

Lastly, Lauralee from Language Arts Classroom has always taught tweens and teens, but she learns so much from primary teachers. In the Not So Wimpy Teacher’s podcast, Why Bother With Test Prep, Jamie covers the wide range of emotions that teachers feel about testing and test prep. Not only does she provide organizational tips, but she also provides methods for reviewing that are applicable to the secondary classroom. Part of being a teacher is constantly learning, and Jamie’s podcast has ideas for all teachers. In her podcast, she stresses that when students are moving and doing, they are more likely to learn. Sometimes, secondary teachers struggle to incorporate movement into their classroom, and that podcast has great tips. 

I hope that this podcast recommendation list for ELA teachers has inspired you to add new episodes to your queue. Be sure to tag us and tell us your thoughts on the content! For even more English teacher podcast recommendations, see the podcasts I’ve been featured on here: Ashley Bible Featured On

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